gin & tonic jelly

When I saw this recipe in theSunday Timesnew Food Weekly supplement, I knew immediately that I would be making it.

Reminding me of my student days when we used to make vodka jelly shots for parties. We would just swallow the potent little bullets, loaded with alcohol and wait for an almost instant hit as the alcohol made it rapidly into our blood stream. No chewing or savouring of flavour involved. The object was to get as much alcohol into our bodies, in the easiest possible way.

These gin & tonic jellies just felt a whole lot more sophisticated.

Jelly is very on trend at the moment and I have been seeing permutations of it on all sorts of menus lately. Whether its ground up to a kind of ‘frappe’ crumble (Nobu), or incorporated as part of a layered dessert (Signal at the Cape Grace), jelly is here so we might as well enjoy it.

Its also the perfect addition to any Spring or Summer party. Add a little booze and really get into the swing of things.

I was also very impressed with the Food Weekly supplement which will now be be part of the Sunday Times Lifestyle section each week, along with the Home Weekly and Travel Weekly supplements. Edited by Hillary with Neil Roake as the creative director. Neil also wrote the fabulous cook book ‘Taste Freedom”.

What you need to make these

Serves 4 – 6

A gloriously cooling spring jelly with a kick. Cut into blocks, the jelly can be served on Oriental spoons with cocktails or as a dessert.

Ingredients:

185ml water

185ml castor sugar

35ml (7 tsp) gelatine powder

juice and zest of a large lemon

125ml ( cup) gin, or more to taste

200ml tonic water

lemon and lime wedges, to serve

Method:

In a small pan heat the water and sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the gelatine powder, stirring over low heat to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and zest. Cool. Mix in the gin and tonic water and pour into a ring mould or individual cocktail glasses. Allow to set. Decorate with lemon and lime wedges.

* PS: If you want to preserve more of the fizz from the tonic water, add this right at the end. So add the gin to the slightly cooled jelly mixture, divide among your dishes, then top up with the tonic water.

* PPS: Another top tip is to cool the moulds down in the freezer (if they are freezer proof) before adding in the jelly.

Oh I am SO going to make these for a dinner party soon!! I remember the good old days of jelly shots at varsity – or in our case, big BOWLS of toxic slucge (we used to pay quarters with toxic sludge – do not even ask! ) Sis-in-law and I once made a batch so alcoholic we could not get it to set at all!